I Value My Vote

October 11, 2012

I left Budapest in 1956 as the Hungarian Revolution was erupting. I turned 19 while flying over the Atlantic to the United States. When I arrived in Pennsylvania, I didn’t speak a word of English. I started work in assembling industrial sewing machines, earning 88 cents an hour, and taught myself English at night. After my husband received his Master’s degree, we had two children: a daughter and a son.

My daughter was born with cerebral palsy. She was wheelchair-bound her entire life. As a child, she had to attend a special school, but despite her impairments, she was very bright. Eventually she was able graduate, with honors, from a regular high school.

Taking care of my daughter exposed me to the many difficulties families with special needs children face. It made me very aware of how important special education is, and the crucial role government funding plays in making sure children like my daughter can get the schooling they need.

I also know a great deal about health care and hospitals. After having kids, I decided to go to college, using student loans and part-time jobs to pay for my tuition, eventually earning a Master’s in medical social work in 1973. I’ve been working in hospitals since then.

I’ve seen firsthand, as a case manager, that much of the care people receive is based on what insurance companies will pay for or what people can afford – which is almost never enough. I’ve seen countless families go bankrupt because of one hospitalization.

That’s why I’m extremely interested in health care reform and protecting Obamacare, and in preserving funding for special needs education. I know President Obama values these things too, and that’s why he’s got my vote. I feel that he knows what’s going on in the country and can identify with the struggles and aspirations of ordinary people.

I’m willing to do anything and everything to see him reelected and to remind others to vote for him. I risked my life to escape a country where people had no free elections. I value my vote. I hope you do too, and I hope you’ll commit to vote for President Obama: